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Overview

In about 1960, Paul Cummins operated four Huddle Restaurants, including this one on South Bundy Drive near the Cloverfield Airport in Santa Monica, CA. The others were the Huddle Crenshaw-Imperial, Huddle on La Cienega Boulevard and Huddle West Covina near the Eastland Shopping Center. Cummins also operated an earlier restaurant at 6th and Main Streets in Downtown Los Angeles. The Santa Monica location was notable for its Armet and Davis "Googie" Style architecture.

Building History

This large, $300,000 restuarant designed by the Los Angeles architectural team of Armet and Davis opened on about 02/25/1955. At the beginning, the building had multiple dining rooms offering customers various dining experiences. According to an article in the Brentwood Pacer, the ultramodern facility had conveyor belts to bring dirty dishes to the kitchen and pass-through drawers for quick service. The article described the diverse dining options available: "In addition to an interesting coffee shop, the new Huddle offers diners their choice of five different dining rooms, each as unusual as they are new and beautiful. The 'Sky Room' offers diners a panoramic view of the Santa Monica Airport, the Hollywood Hills and the Pacific Ocean. In the 'Huddle Room' the designers combined an American style dining room with designs and decorations with an international flavor. The 'Patio Room' features thirty-foot high colored glass panel windows, indoor tropical trees and planting and driftwood stone walls. French wines, food and atmosphere are featured in the 'Petite Dining Room' as well as a saucy mural of Can-Can girls on a miniature stage. On a level above the ocean and airport is the 'Heather Room.' Truly a 'wee bit o' Scotland,' the Heather Room is replete with Scotch tartans and Coats of Arms, rough-hewn cork walls and an unusual wall mural of wood carvings and oil paintings in relief mounted on velvet." (See "Week's Celebration Marks Grand Opening of New Huddle Restaurant," Brentwood Pacer, 03/03/1955, page unknown.)

Known as "The Huddle Restaurant."

PCAD id: 11754